I recently attended an interesting dinner hosted by Five Loaves as a pop-up at a local bike and coffee shop near by, Woodlawn Cycle Cafe. The food was great and I enjoyed nice conversation with folks I would have probably never met otherwise. Five Loaves is a part of the Urban Avenues initiative, a group here in Birmingham that …
Last week I was able to attend ICSC’s Open Air Center (OAC) Summit in Scottsdale. This is my fourth time to attend the annual event, which is closed to 400 attendees running the gamut from landlords to brokers and folks like me. It’s always good discussion of key trends, challenges and the opportunities current to …
The experience one has when walking into an Apple store is unique. Clean and filled with intuitive wayfinding, I’d say. While it may seem like a lofty goal for a “live remodel,” the experience should be as similar as possible given the constraints of ongoing construction. We are currently updating the interior of a decades-old …
Last week, the South–and the world, really–lost a great thinker. Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird, used storytelling to address the particularly sensitive topic of inequality in a time when discussion was taboo. In the process, she changed the hearts of many. I ran across this video list of inspiring quotes from the …
A few weeks ago, I was walking down the street in St. Paul–freezing–and my mind was elsewhere. A gentleman stopped me and said, “You dropped something.” I scanned the ground to see what it might be, and realized nothing was there. That’s when he said, “You dropped your smile.” I immediately realized it was true, …
Several years ago, I made the decision to build a home out from town, and moved to a beautiful spot in the country with views of a mountain range, lakes, woods and wildlife. It has been nice. I raised 3 good children here, but they are now grown and have moved on. Now my place …
Our CFO is always reminding me that our greatest assets are the people in our company. Years ago, I thought the greatest assets were on the financial statement, but over time, I have learned his wisdom. One can have all of the policies in place, the procedures, and the best opportunities with the best customer …
Every city has its symbols. Here in Birmingham, many associate Vulcan with downtown, but we are seeing the revival of many other icons that got lost in history. We’re pleased to be a part of one such restoration at our Thomas Jefferson Tower project on the west side of the city’s central business district. Originally completed in …
Last week, one of our managers traveled 23 hours to Guanghzou, the manufacturing center of China. The reason for his visit? Robbie was headed for Shinegolden Steel Craft Co, Ltd., a steel fabricator, to check up on a production of hot rolled windows and doors that we commissioned for a historical renovation project constructed in …
I have never met a strong person with an easy backgroud. Earlier this week I learned that a customer had laid off several members of their construction and real estate department. Losing a position is sometimes like a kick in the stomach and I reached out to the folks who are my business friends, offering to …
A rewarding part of this job is the mentoring aspect–helping folks find the areas where they excel and watching them thrive. Obviously I try to do this everyday for those around me. Having been in the industry for a long while, I will also get calls from people looking to make a move, and not …
To me, our society often values notoriety and success, and over the years I have seen folks drive harder and harder to achieve more without corresponding happiness. This begs the question, is success what really what sustains us along the trail? Not hardly. Harvard University conducted a study, tracking two sets of individuals over 75 years. …